


From Zero to Hero

by potter_fangirl



Series: From Zero to Hero [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia
Genre: Alternate Universe - Harry Potter Setting, Alternate Universe - Magic, Alternate Universe - No Quirks (My Hero Academia), Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-29
Updated: 2017-12-21
Packaged: 2019-02-08 07:31:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,492
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12859776
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/potter_fangirl/pseuds/potter_fangirl
Summary: This is the story of how I, Midoriya Izuku, became the greatest magical hero.





	1. Midoriya Izuku: Origins of the Squib

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or Boku no Hero Academia.  
> 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This isn't really a crossover with Harry Potter - characters from the books and movies won't be appearing. I'm really just taking the concept of magic and how it is developed in Harry Potter and applying it to the plot and universe of Boku no Hero Academia. I'll be sticking to canon pretty closely, but the conversion between quirks and magic will allow for some differences.
> 
> I wrote this because I really like the concept of Harry Potter crossovers when they only take the setting and ideas of Harry Potter. I couldn't find any fics already written that weren't only oneshots within the HP universe. I hope some people like this! Updates will be rather sporadic but most likely every 3-4 weeks.

_Not all men were created equal._

This was a truth Midoriya Izuku had understood at a very young age, primarily due to his complete lack of magical ability. Typically, children display at least some form of accidental magic by age 4, but at age 7 Izuku was dismissed as one of the few non-magical children born to magical parents - a squib. Around the same time, Izuku's childhood friend, a magical prodigy, began developing a complex of his own and, consequently, bullying Izuku.

These unfortunate events occurred for two reasons: Izuku's tear glands were rather hyperactive, and he had developed a habit of quickly answering what he perceived as a call for help. Be it tears forming in their eyes or even a harmless fall that they are slow to pick themselves up from, Izuku was always the first - if not only - to kindly step in or reach out. While it was a commendable action, it only ostracized him from who used to be his closest friend, Bakugou Katsuki.

Bakugou, or - as Izuku calls him - 'Kacchan', was quite talented - academically, physically, and magically - for a child his age. With his superior abilities came praise from all he associated with, and with praise came a large ego and unchecked actions. Bakugou soon began terrorizing his fellow classmates, not out of malice but to establish his authority over them all. Izuku's metaphorical and literal outstretched hand was not looked upon happily, either when directed towards Bakugou or his victims. Eventually, Bakugou's actions influenced those of their classmates, and Izuku became a social pariah to their local budding magical community.

That didn't prevent him from pursuing his dreams.

In a magical society that was both integrated and not with the non-magical society, there were a few individuals that dared to expose their abilities. These people, or 'heroes', used this magic for the common good of humanity. While they did not replace the firemen and police officers, they were the ones who stepped in if the situation became too dire - this was often the case in a world where magic is an ability even the dregs of society can possess.

Izuku, as an instinctive 'savior' of others, adored heroes. His favorite, All Might, had been given such an honor due to his debut as a hero, in which he saved over a hundred civilians from a collapsing building. From that moment on, the man had frequently stepped in to resolve numerous situations and delivered 'justice' to a myriad of threats, all of which contribute to his publicly given title of the 'Symbol of Peace'. All Might inspired Izuku primarily due to the hero's reassuring catchphrase and ever-present grin. He inspired others, including Bakugou, due to his incredible success rate when dealing with criminals.

Ever since witnessing All Might's astounding rescue operation, Izuku had wanted to grow up to be just like him. This brought us to the beginning of the story, which is when Izuku learned that life wasn't fair or just. He stood between an intimidating figure, one he used to play with, and a younger child, fallen on the ground.

"Stop Kacchan! Leave him alone!" cried Izuku, trembling as tears of fear filled his eyes.

"Don't tell me what to do, Deku!" Sparks flew from Bakugou's clenched fists, causing his lackeys and Izuku to flinch.

As Izuku stepped backward, Bakugou kept advancing, his hands now open as tiny magical explosions lit up the darkening park. The sun fell lower in the sky as shrieks of pain filled the air.

* * *

Izuku kicked his legs back and forth as he sat on the stool. He glanced at his arms for the nth time, enamored by the lack of blemishes that were present merely an hour ago. He looked up as the door opened, letting his mother and the doctor inside. Upon noticing his gaze, the doctor smiled.

"You'll be alright, young man. Just be careful going down the stairs next time. I don't want to see you here too often." she said.

Izuku nodded, but he was far more interested in the paper in her hand, the true reason behind his extended visit to the doctor's office. The boy had pleaded for his mother to request a magical aptitude test, claiming it was convenient due to them already being present in a pediatrician's office that doubled as a testing facility. She caved to his request, so Izuku was eager to know what the results were. The doctor, upon noticing his excitement, smiled sadly. Izuku looked to his mother in confusion, but she kept her gaze focused on her hands.

"I'm afraid you won't be happy with your test results. As you know, we analyzed your DNA to determine whether you possessed the magical gene and our results were positive, but the gene is dormant. While it may be possible to activate it, we will refrain from doing so because we do not know what the consequences may be. You are not be able to perform magic. I'm sorry," said the doctor.

Izuku was completely still, his eyes wide and mouth open. His brain played the doctor's penultimate sentence on loop:  _You will not be able to perform magic. You will not be able to perform magic. You will not be able to perform magic._

He didn't notice as his mother thanked the doctor and took him to the car. He didn't register Bakugou showing up at the Midoriya's home, dragged by the ear by his mother to apologize. He ate dinner mechanically despite it being his favorite dish. When his awareness returned, Izuku found himself seated in front of the computer. It was playing a newscast of All Might's debut, which was his favorite thing to watch. For the second time that day, tears filled his eyes and dripped down his face. However, these were born out of a deep agony unlike anything a child his age should face: the agony of being denied one's purpose. His mother entered the room with a plate of cookies but put them down immediately once she heard his soft sniffles. Izuku spun his chair around to face her.

"Even if...I don't have magic, can I still...be...a hero?" he asked, desperate for an answer.

She ran to him and collapsed to her knees, hugging him tightly as she began sobbing as well.

"Oh Izuku, I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry." she cried.

 

 

 

But that wasn't what Izuku wanted to hear.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Up next - Midoriya Izuku: Origins of the Hero


	2. Midoriya Izuku: Origins of the Hero

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Izuku meets his idol, loses hope, saves someone, and regains hope.
> 
> Warning: Mild swearing and non-explicit suffocation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I mentioned this in the author's note section of the excerpts from this story, but I'll explain more here. I use the term quirk to describe a type of magic that the characters in this story can perform. Just like the quirks in the show, there are many varieties and abilities. However, they are not technically the same quirks as the show. That's why I tagged this fic as "alternate universe - no quirks". Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter. It's longer than the first.

_7 years later_

Izuku hunched his shoulders as he continued to scribble furiously in his notebook. This was his 13th notebook dedicated to analyzing the unique wandless magic that everyone in the magical community possessed.

Quirks.

In addition to performing wand magic, each magical individual could perform a wandless spell that was quite versatile and varied in nature. There were inherently combat quirks, transportation quirks, enhancing quirks, metamorphosis quirks, etc. Izuku enjoyed observing and analyzing quirks, particularly because he lacked one of his own. He wanted to understand how these wandless spells worked and why they, along with wand magic, were only present in part of the population.

In his notebooks, Izuku recorded his observations about his classmates. Bakugou in particular had quite a few pages dedicated just to him. Bakugou's quirk was that he could cause explosions to erupt from his body. The effect seemed to be localized to his hands, but Izuku concluded that this might not necessarily be the case.

Izuku's musings were interrupted by a loud bang and a smoking hand that had slammed down on his open notebook. Bakugou grinned menacingly as Izuku hesitantly met his gaze.

"What's this,  _Deku_?" Bakugou asked as he snatched the notebook off the desk. "Hero Analysis for the Future? The fuck are you writing this for? You'll never be a hero. In fact, I'll do you a favor right now." Bakugou held the notebook between two open palms. Izuku scrambled out of his chair. He knew what was about to happen.

"Kacchan wait-" He was interrupted by another loud bang. The notebook erupted into quickly fading flames. Bakugou smirked before tossing the remains out the window. Izuku ran to watch as the book fell into the school's koi pond. He almost fell as he leaned over the windowsill, held up only by the hand that grabbed the back of his uniform.

"Hang on,  _Deku_. If you die now, I'll be the one in trouble." The hand yanked him back roughly, letting him fall to the floor. Bakugou walked towards the door, his goons scrambling after him.

"But if you want to take a swan dive off the roof when I leave...well that'd be no one's fault but your own." He gave a bark of laugher, "Maybe you'll have magic in your next life." He walked off, still laughing.

Izuku felt tears welling in his eyes. As much as he wanted to think that Bakugou didn't mean what he said, he had known the boy for many years now. Bakugou, no matter how cruel it may seem, always said what he meant. Izuku climbed to his feet slowly and finished packing his bag. On his way out of school, he stopped by the koi pond. He fished out his notebook, noting that it wasn't salvageable and that he'd need to copy his notes to another book.

Izuku's mind whirred with sad thoughts and questions.

_If Kacchan says I should die...maybe he's right. Am I useless? Can I not be a hero?_

As he walked under a bridge, a scraping noise rang from behind him. Izuku was still lost in his thoughts when a figure crept up from behind and grabbed him. Slimy appendages caught Izuku's hands and kept them trapped behind his back.

"Wha-what's going on? Help! Somebody he-" Izuku's cries were cut off as more slimy appendages covered his mouth. Once again, Izuku's eyes filled with tears. A loud clanging noise sounded from behind the two grappling figures.

"TEXAS SMASH!" yelled a large voice as the figure attacking Izuku was blown away. Izuku's eyes widened - only one person was renown for their famous smashes.

"It's all right now," the tall and broad figure grinned widely, "Why? Because  _I AM HERE_!"

Izuku blacked out.

* * *

Izuku woke up to a large hand shaking his shoulder gently.

"Young man? I cannot leave until I know you are safely on your way home." said a loud voice.

Izuku scrubbed his eyes, still incredulous about what was happening.

"Ah, there we go. Thank you for your help! If you hadn't stalled him, a dangerous criminal would still be on the loose." All Might stood back up next to the restrained villain. Izuku finally got a good look at who had attacked him, and he immediately began analyzing and attempting to comprehend the villain and his abilities. The villain himself was rather plain-looking, if one ignored the slimy tentacle-like appendages that lay limply on the ground, shackled to each other. As Izuku began muttering to himself about the technicalities of such a quirk, All Might prepared to disapparate away.

"Farewell, young man." Izuku's eyes widened as he regained his senses just in time.

"No wait!" Izuku launched himself at All Might right as the man completed his spell. The three figures vanished from beneath the bridge, leaving a pair of empty shackles in their wake. All Might stumbled as he landed on the roof of a nearby building. The additional passenger had not been accounted for in his spell, and he could not complete the journey lest some harm befall the boy. He quickly glanced at his surroundings, ensuring the criminal was still present before turning his attention to Izuku, who was collapsed on all four limbs.

"Are you all right, my boy? That was a very dangerous thing you did, but I must admit I'm curious about your reason." he asked.

"Yes...I'm...fine," Izuku replied, panting with exertion, "I...need...a moment."

"Of course." said All Might, glancing at his watch in his peripheral vision - three hours had already passed since he began chasing the villain.

Izuku finally stood up, his entire frame shaking in awe and anticipation, but kept his face down.

"All Might...can I still be a hero, even without magic? Is it possible for someone like me to ever become as amazing as you? I've always looked up to you, ever since I saw your debut. What you do - saving countless people with a fearless smile on your face - it's extraordinary. But...I don't have magic, and when I say I still want to be a hero, everyone laughs. But if just one person believes in me, especially you, then I know-" Izuku glances at his idol and shrieks. Rather than the tall and strong-looking man he expected to see, the only figure in Izuku's vision was an emaciated and gaunt living skeleton. 

"W-where's All Might?" he asked. The man opened his mouth to answer, but instead spit out blood. He glanced at his hands in resignation before looking up.

"I _am_ All Might." he says. "I've been using a glamour spell to hide myself." All Might slowly sits down on the concrete roof. "Fearless smile? Everyone has fear, kid." He lifts his shirt to point out a gruesome scar over his heart. "5 years ago, I was severely injured by a villain. My organs were irreparably damaged and what you see now are the consequences. I didn't tell the public because they call me the Symbol of Peace. If the hero with a  _fearless_ smile gets taken down by a criminal, people will lose hope. That smile I wear is to reassure those I try to save, but that doesn't mean I'm fearless. No hero is fearless, and to conquer that fear we must use the best tools at our disposal. Being a hero without having magic, the most powerful tool of all, won't be possible." He stood up again and made his way to the door. "Heroes aren't the only ones who save people. You could always join the non-magical society and become a policeman or a fireman, or even a doctor. They might not be as popular as heroes, but they do their fair share of saving too...Dreams are good, kid, but don't ignore reality." All Might shut the door behind him. 

Izuku was destroyed.

"I-if even All Might..." he mumbled to himself as he slowly headed towards the door. Izuku had lost all hope.

* * *

 

"Maybe Kacchan's right. I am a useless nobody. Maybe they're all right. Why does the magical gene have such a large impact on someone's life? Should society really be structured this way? Is that fair to those who aren't magical? Whether they're squibs or part of the non-ma-" Izuku was interrupted by a large boom. He looked to his right and saw smoke plumes rising above the buildings. Without a second thought, he ran straight towards the noise. The closer he got, the more frequently the noises sounded. He saw a large crowd, all of them clamoring to see the cause of the disturbance. Izuku, unable to see anything over their heads, suddenly glanced down in despondence.

"Why am I torturing myself by coming here?" he asked himself. As he turned to leave, he overheard some voices in the crowd.

"Oh, I feel so bad for that poor middle-school kid."

"Yeah, those heroes aren't even doing anything, even though a villain's got him."

"That's an amazing quirk he's got - exploding things. Too bad it won't do him any good right now."

Izuku spun back around, worry and apprehension stinging his nerves. He ran into the crowd, ducking and dodging people's arms and legs as he headed to the front of the group. When he reache dthe front, he was pushed back by a hero, identifiable only by costume rather than behavior.

"Stay back, kid. Let the heroes handle this." they say. Izuku peers over the arm held in front of him. One of his worst fears is confirmed when he saw Bakugou in the midst of chaos. There were fires all over the place, and the villain Izuku had encountered earlier was present as well, smiling with grotesque features. Bakugou's arms and legs were tangled with slimy-looking tentacles, which allowed the villain to control his every move. This was quite dangerous considering the boy was letting off near-constant explosions as he struggled to escape. The villain had also covered Bakugou's mouth and nose with slimy fingers, which was a clear indication that he meant to suffocate him. Izuku's eyes locked with Bakugou's and Izuku  _ran._ For the first time since they were toddlers, Izuku saw a cry for help within the bright red eyes of his once friend.

Izuku's mind whirred as his feet carried him towards Bakugou. He had not carefully thought about what he would do next, but he knew he had to do something. Bakugou's eyes widened as Izuku approached, unidentifiable emotions shining through. Izuku was merely a few feet away from the villain when he got an idea. He shrugged off his backpack and launched it towards the villain's face. Then, he quickly grabbed Bakugou's bicep and jerked him to the side, effectively preventing the villain from using Bakugou as a shield. Izuku began pulling off the tentacles on Bakugou's face, struggling as he noticed that they were a jello-like substance rather than something solid. He realized that this was why the heroes were hesitating but kept struggling nonetheless. Somehow, he managed to free Bakugou's mouth, allowing him to take a deep breath.

"Why are you here? What are you doing?" he asked as soon as he had caught his breath. Isuzu began yanking at Bakugou's arms, trying and failing to free him.

"I'm sorry, Kacchan! I couldn't help it, once I saw your eyes crying for helping, my feet moved on their own!" Izuku replied.

"I..." Bakugou trailed off, refusing to finish his thought. The two were still struggling to no avail when a voice was heard.

"DETROIT SMASH!" exclaimed All Might, punching the air in front of the villain. Extreme air pressure blew the villain away, leaving the two boys in place solely due to the hands gripping their arms. The crowd cheered, calling out the Symbol of Peace's hero name with joy and awe. Meanwhile, EMTs swarmed Izuku and Bakugou, checking them for injuries.

"That was very brave of you. Did you use precision magic to ensure your backpack hit its mark?" one of them asked Izuku.

"W-well, I don't actually have any magic..." Izuku's voice faded out as he saw the shock and disapproval rising on the EMT's face.

"That was a very dangerous thing you did! Next time, leave it to those with magic, kid." replies the EMT before he heads Izuku his backpack.

* * *

 

Izuku walked home, sadness and, strangely, contentment permeating the air around him. He spun around when he heard footsteps thundering behind him. 

" _DEKU_!" Bakugou said as he glared, "You may have saved me, but don't think that this makes you better than me! I'm still going to be the number one hero, even if I might owe you!" He spun around on his heel and marched back where he came from.

Izuku turned back around and began walking again. He hadn't expected Bakugou to show any gratitude, but Izuku was glad to see that he had rebounded so quickly from a near-death experience. He truly hoped that he was able to achieve his dream, even if Izuku himself had given up.

_It isn't so bad, not being a hero. I was still able to_ _help save Kacchan, Maybe that's enough..._

A gust of wind blew from beside him, and suddenly, the sun was blocked from his person. He looked up and saw All Might, complete with the majestic glamour that hid the hero's true self.

"You know, all heroes start their journey somewhat the same. If they find someone in danger, they don't stop for a second to think before trying to help. Of course, such reckless behavior may lead to disaster, but...such extraordinary courage is a trait present in all those who become great heroes. What you did today...I hesitated, kid. When I saw that boy in trouble, I hesitated because I had used up all my energy trying to capture that villain in the first place. If it wasn't for you, running in when no one else would, I wouldn't have found the courage to draw out strength when I thought there was none left. Thank you." The illusion faded away, leaving the gaunt figure of All Might's true body. "What I told you earlier, that was wrong. I had forgotten the true meaning of being a hero. A hero is someone who does what's right, even if they have to struggle more than others. And you, my boy, can reach your dream." Izuku fell to his knees, sobbing as hope welled inside him.

"You  _can_ be a hero."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Up Next - Going the Distance


End file.
